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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wind — moving air
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — child
  21. bass — low music
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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