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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. march — the month
  3. object — to protest
  4. kid — child
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mug — a face
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. march — the month
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mine — for digging
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — an aim
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. march — music
  24. wave — with your hand

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