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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — a partner
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — an aim
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. object — a thing
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — a trace
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a grade
  13. staff — employees
  14. craft — boats
  15. object — to protest
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — a stick
  24. craft — a skill

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