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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kick — in football
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — a company
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. firm — steady
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wind — moving air
  16. file — a document
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. branch — a division
  19. pass — a permit
  20. file — a tool
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. firm — decided
  24. file — a line of people

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