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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. tear — to rip
  12. suit — in cards
  13. staff — a stick
  14. net — after costs
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — in sport
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tube — a container
  24. bowl — to roll

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