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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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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: current · bat · suit · rest · field · wind · bay · hide

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. field — farmland
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. current — happening now
  10. field — for sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. suit — to fit
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. rest — a break
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rest — what's left

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