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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — a series
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wind — moving air
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rash — hasty
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — certain
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rash — on the skin

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