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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 120 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mug — a face
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. chest — a box
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — a cup
  13. can — a tin
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bank — for money

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