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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: wind · mug · roll · land · stem · can · deal · bowl

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — a face
  14. can — to be able to
  15. roll — a cake
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bowl — a dish

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