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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wind — moving air
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — for sport
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. court — of law
  11. track — a song
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. track — to keep track
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a ring
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. band — a music group
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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