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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wind — moving air
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. club — a group
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for golf
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rock — music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. saw — the tool

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