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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — a safe
  7. present — a gift
  8. fall — the season
  9. cue — a hint
  10. present — the time now
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — a committee
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — a signal
  17. present — there
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — to get on
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. cue — for pool

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