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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 was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. can — a tin
  7. march — the month
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chest — of your body
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chest — of your body
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. net — in sport
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. chest — a box
  23. net — for catching
  24. march — the month

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