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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wind — moving air
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wake — a trail
  7. scale — in music
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a committee
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — out of danger

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