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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. wind — moving air
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. club — for golf
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — to come from
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. club — for dancing
  13. ball — a great time
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. pass — a permit
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — a sauce

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