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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — a break
  3. court — for sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. court — of law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rest — what's left
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — a thing
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — of a king
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. object — to protest
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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