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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: clip · cabinet · rock · foot · wind · wake · firm · mine

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wind — moving air
  10. firm — steady
  11. clip — a video
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. firm — decided
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. firm — a company
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wake — before a funeral

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