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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bear — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — to come down
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. land — a country
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. stock — goods
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. land — ground
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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