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

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. branch — a division
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — obliged
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — a measure
  24. branch — of a bank

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