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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. 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. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — in music
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. 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