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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. track — a song
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fine — all right
  11. file — a document
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. track — to keep track
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. track — a path
  17. fine — high quality
  18. file — a tool

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