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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: wind · roll · bay · bear · bowl · mate · wake · jam

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mate — to breed
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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