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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. dip — to sink
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. spring — the season
  20. craft — boats
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. dip — to dunk

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