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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bass — low music
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mug — a face
  7. bass — the fish
  8. shower — rain
  9. face — to point toward
  10. craft — a skill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. shower — to wash
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wind — moving air
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. face — to confront
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mug — to rob
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mug — a cup
  24. craft — boats

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