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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bat — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. toast — bread
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wind — moving air
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bulb — for light

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