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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mug — a face
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. charge — a price
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — in control
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. mug — to rob

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