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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. track — a path
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — to keep track
  11. cue — a signal
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. track — a song
  14. content — the amount
  15. wind — moving air
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fork — in a road
  19. spell — magic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. content — happy
  24. fork — a garden tool

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