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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: present · mine · firm · jam · kick · root · bay · wind

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. firm — steady
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. root — of a word
  9. present — there
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — the time now
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. firm — decided
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. present — a gift
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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