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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — of the year
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. perch — the fish
  8. field — farmland
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitch — completely
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. field — a subject
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. season — in sport
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to click
  23. field — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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