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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · rush · wind · deal · racket · firm · pitcher · bear

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — help
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wind — moving air
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — decided
  9. hand — in cards
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. firm — a company
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. firm — steady
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wind — moving air

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