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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. firm — steady
  4. track — a song
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. track — a path
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. fall — to drop
  11. track — to keep track
  12. firm — a company
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. firm — decided
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pound — a weight
  23. calf — a young animal
  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