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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mug — a face
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. squash — to crush
  9. cue — a hint
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wind — moving air
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — to be able to
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cue — for pool

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