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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mug — a face
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — for sport
  11. mug — to rob
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — steady
  18. mug — a cup
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — a company
  21. field — a subject
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. firm — decided

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