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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — magic
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. can — a tin
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a hole
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — in a race
  24. stem — to come from

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