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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  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 — moving air
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — to sink
  6. pop — soda
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pop — music
  20. squash — to crush
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — a dish
  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