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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. drill — army training
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chip — to eat
  22. wind — moving air
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wind — moving 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