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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. last — finally
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — steady
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — a hole
  7. last — to go on
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. last — final
  10. board — to get on
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. firm — decided
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. board — a committee
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. tube — a container
  19. pit — in a race
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — out of danger

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