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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. deal — to handle
  3. game — a match
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wind — moving air
  7. key — for a lock
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. lean — thin
  14. game — wild animals
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lean — to bend
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stand — on your feet

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