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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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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. key — in music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to drill
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bore — to tire

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