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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bound — tied together
  3. firm — decided
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. face — to point toward
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pit — a hole
  11. can — a tin
  12. firm — a company
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bound — certain
  23. can — a tin
  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