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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · pound · deal · fall · cold · suit · racket · arm

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. suit — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cold — an illness
  11. pound — a weight
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. deal — a big deal

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