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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. firm — steady
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — after costs
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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