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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. key — in music
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. key — the most important part
  20. hand — help
  21. wind — moving air
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mark — a trace
  24. hand — in cards

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