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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. game — a match
  8. object — an aim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. object — a thing
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — to protest
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mate — a friend
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — wild animals
  24. sharp — clever

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