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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a city
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rock — a stone
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com