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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bass — the fish
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — a gift
  8. spell — magic
  9. present — there
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. spell — letters
  18. bass — low music

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