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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a line of people
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. court — of a king
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — to bear
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. court — for sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. file — a tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wound — an injury
  24. court — of law

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