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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.

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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wind — moving air
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. race — a contest
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wind — moving air
  14. shower — rain
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — the arms race
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — to wash
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — boats
  24. perch — for a bird

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