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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 120 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
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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: deal · wind · game · fan · cabinet · wound · object · mug

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a match
  5. object — to protest
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — to rob
  13. game — wild animals
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wind — moving air
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. object — an aim
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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