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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lean — thin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lean — to bend
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bound — certain
  19. court — for sport
  20. branch — a division
  21. court — of law
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lean — to rest against

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