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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
468
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: suit · tube · bay · dip · spring · land · object · wind

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. dip — to sink
  3. suit — to fit
  4. land — to come down
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. object — to protest
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spring — a coil
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tube — a container
  19. wind — moving air
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. suit — in cards
  24. dip — to dunk

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