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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. can — a tin
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. shower — to wash
  14. snap — to click
  15. shower — rain
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — to turn a key

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