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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rule — a law
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pound — for dogs

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