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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. land — a country
  7. sharp — clever
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. firm — decided
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. land — to come down
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. land — ground

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