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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spring — of water
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — the season
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cue — a signal
  11. firm — decided
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — steady
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wave — with your hand

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