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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. can — a tin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. can — a tin
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — a cup

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