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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fine — all right
  10. net — after costs
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. net — in sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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