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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · wake · coach · mouse · land · firm · game · wind

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wake — a trail
  11. firm — steady
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — ground
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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