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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · pop · bowl · tube · spring · roll · wind · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. 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 — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. tube — a container
  4. saw — the tool
  5. roll — a list
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pop — soda
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — of water
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. 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