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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tear — from crying
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. bass — the fish
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bass — low music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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