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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chest — a box
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chest — of your body
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wind — moving air
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. chest — of your body
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. key — in music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. land — a country
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pass — a permit
  24. key — for a lock

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