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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — of water
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — boats
  8. club — for golf
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. craft — a skill
  19. club — a group
  20. present — there
  21. spring — the season
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — to keep secret

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