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

Word bank: wind · trunk · mate · cue · firm · rash · fall · cap

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cap — a hat
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cue — a hint
  6. firm — decided
  7. rash — a series
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. cap — of ice
  14. firm — steady
  15. cap — a lid
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. firm — a company
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fall — to drop
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fall — the season
  24. rash — hasty

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