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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: suit · field · wind · bulb · bowl · lie · shower · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mug — a face
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — to wash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. lie — to recline
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mug — to rob
  20. field — a subject
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bulb — for light

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