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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cue — a hint
  11. spring — a coil
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bass — the fish
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. spring — of water
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — a signal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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