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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. key — in music
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. track — to keep track
  20. key — for a lock
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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