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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · pit · firm · last · wind · staff

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. firm — decided
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. staff — employees
  9. last — final
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. firm — steady
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — to go on
  16. pit — in a race
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — a hole

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