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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.

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: rash · roll · bound · bay · wind · leaves · plane · pitch

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — a list
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bound — certain
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — a series
  20. bound — tied together
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bound — obliged
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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