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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fall — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wind — moving air
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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