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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. firm — decided
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — of a river
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bear — the animal

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