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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: wind · hide · jam · lean · bear · bay · spell · drill

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. wind — moving air
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spell — letters
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. drill — army training
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. lean — thin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spell — magic

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