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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — to crush
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. face — to confront
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fall — the season
  12. face — to point toward
  13. suit — clothes
  14. squash — the sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fall — to drop
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wound — an injury
  19. face — part of the head
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — moving air

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