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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 · bat · lean · bear · roll · season · chair · deal

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. wind — moving air
  4. season — in sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. chair — a leader
  9. lean — to bend
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. roll — a list
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — of the year
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. roll — a cake

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