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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 116 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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wind — moving air
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. snap — to click
  16. wind — moving air
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fine — all right
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fine — high quality
  21. degree — from a university
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. cell — a phone

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