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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. suit — in cards
  3. tube — a container
  4. firm — decided
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wind — moving air
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a document
  9. firm — a company
  10. row — a line
  11. kid — child
  12. rock — a stone
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wind — moving air
  19. suit — clothes
  20. firm — steady
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. suit — to fit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. tube — in a tire

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