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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.

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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spring — the season
  3. land — to come down
  4. suit — in cards
  5. land — a country
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — a division
  18. land — ground
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wind — moving air
  21. suit — to fit
  22. staff — a stick
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — to cool the air

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