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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. last — final
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — happening now
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. last — to go on
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. current — electric
  18. wind — moving air
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — to tire
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. current — of water
  24. last — finally

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