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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: bay · wind · rash · jam · rock · race · cabinet · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — a series
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — hasty
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rock — music
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rock — a stone
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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