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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. net — in sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. net — after costs
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — steady
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. row — a line
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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