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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. dip — to sink
  3. drill — army training
  4. wind — moving air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — a thing
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. current — of water
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wind — moving air
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. dip — to dunk

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