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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. key — in music
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. craft — boats
  7. wind — moving air
  8. mug — to rob
  9. hand — in cards
  10. wind — moving air
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — employees
  14. key — for a lock
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — a stick
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. craft — a skill
  19. firm — decided
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. scale — size or range

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