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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: bay · row · prune · suit · board · last · spring · wind

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wind — moving air
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spring — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. suit — clothes
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. board — a committee
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. prune — to trim
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. last — to go on
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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