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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. spell — magic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — rain
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fine — all right
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spell — a short time
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. spell — letters
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — moving air

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