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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — the most important part
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. sharp — clever
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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