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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.

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

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — for catching
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cue — a hint
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. net — in sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. sharp — exactly

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