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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mug — a cup
  3. object — a thing
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mug — a face
  6. object — an aim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. object — to protest
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. mug — to rob
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. shower — rain
  19. present — the time now
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — a price
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — there
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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