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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. spring — of water
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. net — after costs
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — for catching
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spring — the season
  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