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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. rock — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — clothes
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. spell — a short time

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