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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mate — a friend
  9. current — happening now
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. net — for catching
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. net — after costs
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. snap — to click
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bear — the animal

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