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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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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — there
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pop — soda
  10. kid — child
  11. mug — a face
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pop — music
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — to rob
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — a cup

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