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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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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 · club · wind · object · bay · saw · tear · board

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. club — a group
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. board — to get on
  8. tear — to rip
  9. saw — the tool
  10. spring — the season
  11. object — a thing
  12. wind — moving air
  13. tear — from crying
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. object — to protest
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — of water
  19. object — an aim
  20. board — a committee
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — for golf
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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