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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spell — magic
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — decided
  6. hand — in cards
  7. can — a tin
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spell — a short time
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hand — help
  12. spell — letters
  13. firm — a company
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. firm — steady
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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