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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · racket · mine · present · calf · wind · cold · march

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. march — the month
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — a cup
  7. march — the month
  8. mine — for digging
  9. march — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. present — the time now
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — there
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — a face
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — not warm
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. calf — a young animal

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