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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bat — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. sharp — clever
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. march — the month
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. march — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — rain
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — exactly

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