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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  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 — to turn a key
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. band — a ring
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. club — for golf
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wind — moving air
  13. degree — temperature
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — an injury
  17. band — a music group
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. degree — from a university
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  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