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

Word bank: bear · row · stick · bay · wind · bowl

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — a line
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. row — to paddle
  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