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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: stick · cold · pop · bound · rock · bay · suit · wind

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pop — music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — a stone
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bound — certain
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. suit — to fit
  24. cold — an illness

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