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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — a series
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. lie — an untruth

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