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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chest — a box
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — steady
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. firm — a company
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — a tin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. firm — decided
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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