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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spring — of water
  6. bass — low music
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — a coil
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bank — for money
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wind — to turn a key

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