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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — high quality
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. kid — child
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fine — all right

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