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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 124 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — music
  4. deal — to handle
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. season — of the year
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rock — a stone
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wind — to turn a key

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