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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. object — a thing
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. lie — to recline
  12. face — part of the head
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. object — to protest
  17. rash — a series
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — hasty
  21. face — to confront
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. face — to point toward

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