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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: spring · bass · wind · deal · safe · spell · cap · leaves

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spell — magic
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the fish
  11. spring — the season
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. cap — of ice
  15. deal — to handle
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. wind — moving air

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