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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. firm — decided
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. tube — a container
  7. firm — a company
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. kick — in football
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — a city
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. firm — steady
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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