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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. lie — to recline
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — soda
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pop — music
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. date — the fruit
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pop — to visit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — an aircraft

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