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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fork — in a road
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — electric
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fork — a garden tool

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