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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mug — to rob
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. mine — for digging
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a match
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stand — to bear
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. chair — a leader

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