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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. net — for catching
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mate — a friend
  11. lean — thin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mark — a trace
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chair — a leader
  19. net — in sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — after costs
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — to turn a key

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