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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. object — an aim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. wind — moving air
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — a thing
  20. spring — of water
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wax — to grow

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