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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. object — a thing
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fall — the season
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wind — moving air
  16. object — an aim
  17. row — a line
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — a company
  20. object — to protest
  21. firm — steady
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. firm — decided
  24. cap — a lid

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