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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — after costs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. hand — help
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spell — magic
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — in sport
  22. spell — letters
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. fork — a garden tool

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