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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. firm — steady
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. hand — in cards
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bound — certain
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — temperature
  15. firm — a company
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bound — tied together
  19. firm — decided
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — an amount
  23. hand — help
  24. wind — moving air

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