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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. row — a line
  3. current — happening now
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — decided
  7. race — humankind
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — electric
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. suit — to fit
  14. firm — steady
  15. content — happy
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. content — the amount
  18. firm — a company
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — clothes
  21. current — of water
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. suit — in cards
  24. race — a contest

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