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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. file — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. file — a document
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — hasty
  10. cap — of ice
  11. swing — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wind — moving air
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. cap — a lid
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — a series
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cap — a hat

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