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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 112 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · land · wind · rest · ball · bear · hide · spell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — letters
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — to come down
  7. spell — magic
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. land — a country
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — a stone
  16. land — ground
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rock — music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — animal skin

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