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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. staff — employees
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bulb — for light
  14. staff — employees
  15. bear — the animal
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bear — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — low music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bulb — for light

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