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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. can — a tin
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. suit — in cards
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a great time
  14. can — to be able to
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. suit — clothes
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rest — a break
  23. lie — to recline
  24. cell — in a prison

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