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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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 — of your body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cold — not warm
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chest — a box
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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