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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. net — for catching
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to confront
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wind — to turn a key

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