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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.

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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — a practice
  7. firm — decided
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. rush — hurry

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