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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. firm — steady
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rush — hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. kid — child
  14. squash — the sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bound — tied together
  19. staff — employees
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bound — certain
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bound — obliged

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