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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — goods
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. stock — shares
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wind — moving air
  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