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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. scale — in music
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — to fit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mug — a cup
  11. suit — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. file — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bear — the animal

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