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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bass — the fish
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wake — a trail
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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