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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. spring — a coil
  3. track — a path
  4. spring — of water
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — the season
  10. roll — a cake
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. roll — a list
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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