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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 116 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. rule — a law
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — there
  6. rule — government
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. present — a gift
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mug — a cup
  16. sharp — clever
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. present — the time now
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. cap — of ice
  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