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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wind · firm · mine · cue · coach · kick · fan · can

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — decided
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — steady
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. can — a tin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — in football
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mine — belonging to me

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