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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: chair · fan · mug · mouse · object · current · bat · wind

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. object — an aim
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mug — a cup
  9. object — to protest
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — happening now
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. object — a thing
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mug — a face
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. current — electric

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