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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — decided
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. fine — all right
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — for sport
  13. firm — a company
  14. fine — high quality
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. swing — in golf
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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