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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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 — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — in music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — in football
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to click
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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