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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rest — a break
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. face — part of the head
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rock — a stone
  17. face — to confront
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wind — moving air
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. perch — the fish
  23. object — an aim
  24. rock — to move gently

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