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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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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: ground · wind · firm · bay · content · rush · suit · sharp

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wind — moving air
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. content — happy
  8. suit — to fit
  9. content — the amount
  10. ground — crushed
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. ground — the earth
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. firm — decided
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ground — a position
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. firm — a company
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. suit — clothes
  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