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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rock — a stone
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. net — after costs
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cold — not warm
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. net — in sport
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — for catching
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. toast — bread
  24. safe — out of danger

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