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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — to fit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. row — a line
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. drill — army training
  18. pop — to visit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pop — soda
  24. wind — to turn a key

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