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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. key — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wind — moving air
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mug — a face

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