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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. firm — decided
  3. track — to keep track
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wind — moving air
  9. rock — music
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. firm — steady
  19. rock — a stone
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. firm — a company
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rock — to move gently

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