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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: row · rock · stick · wind · cabinet · chip · coach · wound

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. row — a line
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rock — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wind — to turn a key

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