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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 116 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. capital — money
  3. pit — a hole
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — rain
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — a face
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. file — a tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. pit — in a race
  23. shower — to wash
  24. capital — a city

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