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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. hand — help
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. kick — in football
  7. vault — a safe
  8. field — for sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — moving air
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hand — in cards
  20. field — a subject
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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