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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fine — all right
  5. cue — a signal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. craft — boats
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — tied together
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. cue — for pool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cue — a hint
  19. current — happening now
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fall — the season
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stand — to bear

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