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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — in music
  3. fine — all right
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. race — humankind
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chip — for betting
  19. key — the most important part
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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