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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. clip — a video
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bass — the fish
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bass — low music
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mine — for digging
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. key — the most important part
  20. toast — bread
  21. key — in music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wind — moving air

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