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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. stock — shares
  3. clip — to cut
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wind — moving air
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. clip — a video
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stock — goods
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. dip — a sauce
  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