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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.

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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. firm — a company
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tear — to rip
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. firm — decided
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitch — completely

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