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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.

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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a document
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wind — moving air
  5. file — a tool
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. fine — all right
  13. wind — moving air
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — high quality
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — in cards
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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