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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. cap — a hat
  9. firm — a company
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. firm — steady
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. mug — to rob
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chest — of your body

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