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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 116 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. suit — to fit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — shares
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — to handle
  12. file — a tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. suit — in cards
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. file — a document
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a line of people

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