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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mark — a grade
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a trace
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bear — the animal
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — the fish

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