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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · spell · press · wind · pound · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pound — a weight
  4. press — to push
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spell — magic
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — a football final

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