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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wind — moving air
  4. land — ground
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — a country
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — a stone
  13. land — to come down
  14. band — a music group
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. band — a ring
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pit — in a race

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