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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 124 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. file — a document
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. band — a ring
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. bore — to tire
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mug — a face
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — to rob
  22. squash — the sport
  23. board — to get on
  24. bore — to drill

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