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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bass — low music
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. fall — to drop
  6. face — to point toward
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fall — the season
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spring — the season
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — music
  24. bowl — a dish

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