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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wind — moving air
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — the animal
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bank — for money
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fall — the season
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. march — the month
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. march — music
  24. bank — for money

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