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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — to bear
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. present — a gift
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — a coil
  12. present — there
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — the amount
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. spring — of water
  18. bass — low music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wind — moving air
  21. content — happy
  22. bass — the fish
  23. spring — the season
  24. content — videos and posts

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