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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. branch — a division
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. roll — a list
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — army training
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. roll — a cake
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spell — magic
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pop — music
  22. roll — on a roll
  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