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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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468
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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spring — of water
  3. degree — temperature
  4. present — the time now
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. spring — a coil
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. degree — from a university
  10. present — there
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wake — a trail
  17. degree — an amount
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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