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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. track — to keep track
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. shower — to wash
  10. plane — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. charge — electricity
  17. shower — rain
  18. track — a song
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — a path

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