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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — wild animals
  7. key — in music
  8. shower — rain
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — for a lock
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. shower — to wash
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. key — the most important part

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