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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. present — there
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — the time now
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the fish
  9. spell — letters
  10. spring — of water
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spring — a coil
  13. present — a gift
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spell — magic
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — electric
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. spring — the season
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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