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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. land — ground
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mate — to breed
  16. object — an aim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. scale — in music
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — to put up with

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