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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. file — a document
  7. lean — thin
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. wind — moving air
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — to be able to
  15. file — a tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a dance
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. file — a line of people
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — to bend

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