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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.

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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a committee
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — a face
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. chip — to eat
  10. capital — a city
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mug — to rob
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. board — to get on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chip — in a computer

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