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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. staff — employees
  3. mug — a face
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mug — a cup
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — employees
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fine — all right

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