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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. capital — money
  3. shower — rain
  4. current — happening now
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — the most important part
  11. object — an aim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — electric
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. object — to protest
  18. capital — a city
  19. shower — to wash
  20. key — in music
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. current — of water
  23. object — a thing
  24. wind — moving air

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