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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. staff — employees
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. saw — the tool
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bear — the animal

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