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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — in music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bass — the fish
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bass — low music
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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