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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — the animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. spring — the season
  5. wind — moving air
  6. face — to confront
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — of water
  10. scale — size or range
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. track — a path
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — in music
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rock — to move gently
  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