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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rash — a series
  8. kid — to tease
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rash — hasty
  13. key — in music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. firm — steady
  16. ball — a dance
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

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