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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pop — soda
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wind — moving air
  9. squash — the sport
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mug — a face
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chair — a professorship

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