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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. roll — a cake
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — for catching
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a list

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