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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · lie · pit · march · wave · coach · mug · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mug — a face
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — in a race
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. march — the month
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wind — moving air

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