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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rash — hasty
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. wind — moving air
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. firm — decided
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rash — a series
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. firm — steady
  20. wake — a trail
  21. firm — a company
  22. degree — from a university
  23. foot — a measure
  24. wake — before a funeral

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