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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spring — of water
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spell — letters
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spell — magic
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pound — a weight

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