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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. staff — employees
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mark — a grade
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. present — the time now
  19. staff — employees
  20. roll — a list
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. present — there
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — to recline

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