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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. deal — to handle
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rock — a stone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rock — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. snap — to click
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wind — moving air
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. key — the most important part

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