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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. file — a document
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. file — a tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. craft — boats

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