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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. land — ground
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. craft — boats
  14. club — for golf
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. club — a group
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. vault — a safe
  24. club — for dancing

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