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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. spring — of water
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. present — there
  10. net — after costs
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — for catching
  16. present — the time now
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. race — humankind
  21. net — in sport
  22. present — a gift
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. suit — to fit

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