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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. present — there
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — a gift
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — the animal
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wind — moving air

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