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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — certain
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fall — the season
  15. bound — tied together
  16. row — a line
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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