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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pop — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bank — of a river
  5. chest — a box
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a line
  15. chest — of your body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. row — to paddle

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