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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — decided
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — child
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. wind — moving air
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. firm — steady
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kid — to tease

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