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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 · can · rock · leaves · pop · object · game

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — soda
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wind — moving air
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wind — moving air
  9. game — a match
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — a thing
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. object — to protest
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — a stone
  24. leaves — to go away

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