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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. firm — steady
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. cap — of ice
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cap — a hat
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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