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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — a stone
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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