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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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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. kick — in football
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. foot — a measure

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