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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: cue · mug · wind · board · wound · chair · firm · mine

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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. cue — a hint
  2. mug — a cup
  3. board — to get on
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — for pool
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. board — a committee
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. firm — decided
  19. mug — a face
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — to rob
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. firm — steady
  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