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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 116 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. object — a thing
  3. wind — moving air
  4. kid — child
  5. face — part of the head
  6. object — an aim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. face — to confront
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. face — to point toward
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — to protest

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