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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. present — the time now
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rock — music
  5. rash — a series
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rock — a stone
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stand — to bear
  24. bowl — a dish

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