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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rash — a series
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fall — the season
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wind — to turn a key

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