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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — the season
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spring — a coil
  15. branch — a division
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. can — to be able to
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lie — to recline

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