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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a music group
  7. ground — crushed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mug — a cup
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — magic
  12. ground — a position
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rash — a series
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — a face
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mug — to rob
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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