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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.

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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 · bound · kid · cold · wave · chip · fan · vault

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mug — to rob
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bound — certain
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bound — obliged
  21. kid — child
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. cold — an illness
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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