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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chair — a leader
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — in cards
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. capital — a city
  9. stock — goods
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bear — the animal
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stock — shares
  22. wind — moving air
  23. capital — money
  24. chair — to sit on

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