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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  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 — to turn a key
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a document
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. track — a song
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. track — to keep track
  23. leaves — to go away
  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