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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. field — a subject
  3. cold — an illness
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — a company
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cold — not warm
  14. field — for sport
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. firm — decided
  19. deal — to handle
  20. firm — steady
  21. pit — a hole
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. field — farmland

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