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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ball — a dance
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. board — a committee
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a great time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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