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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: staff · firm · bear · wind · bound · pass · pitcher · face

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — employees
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bound — certain
  15. face — to confront
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bound — tied together
  18. firm — decided
  19. wind — moving air
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — a company
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. firm — steady

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