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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. lean — to rest against
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bass — low music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spell — a short time
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. suit — to fit
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lean — to bend
  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