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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. track — a path
  4. firm — decided
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — the time now
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — a song
  9. firm — a company
  10. present — a gift
  11. face — part of the head
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pop — to visit
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pop — music
  17. scale — in music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. track — to keep track
  20. drill — army training
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. present — there
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wind — moving air

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