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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. cap — a hat
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cap — of ice
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cap — a lid

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