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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.

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: bay · mouse · rush · hide · pop · wind · mine · toast

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. rush — to hurry
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mine — for digging
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pop — soda
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. toast — bread
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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