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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. scale — in music
  13. swing — music
  14. chair — a leader
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. mug — a cup
  24. deal — to handle

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