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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. firm — decided
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — to keep track
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — a company
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wound — an injury
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. firm — steady
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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