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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. key — the most important part
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. shower — rain
  14. vault — a safe
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. key — in music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mouse — the animal

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