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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. roll — a list
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. roll — on a roll

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