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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. season — of the year
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — in sport
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — moving air

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