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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — to get on
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. track — a song
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — a committee
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — of water
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. suit — to fit

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