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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — to come from
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mug — to rob
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pound — a weight
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. board — a committee
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cold — an illness
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mug — a face
  24. cold — not warm

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