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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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Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — the time now
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wind — moving air
  8. present — a gift
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mate — to breed
  16. tear — from crying
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — a partner
  20. present — there
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a round shape

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