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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. court — of law
  13. snap — to click
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a line of people
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — gave birth

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