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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 116 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. ball — a dance
  3. key — in music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — the most important part
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. suit — to fit
  13. ball — a great time
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — for a lock
  22. land — ground
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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