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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — magic
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bass — low music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spring — of water
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. spring — the season
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spell — a short time
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. safe — out of danger

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