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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for golf
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. club — a group
  20. squash — the sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. branch — a division
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fan — to cool the air

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