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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — happy
  7. wind — moving air
  8. season — in sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. field — for sport
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. field — a subject
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — the amount
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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