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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — the underground
  7. field — farmland
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tube — a container
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rash — hasty
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wave — with your hand

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