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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. march — music
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. squash — the sport
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. squash — to crush

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