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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. row — a line
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — to rob
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — in music
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — hasty
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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