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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. snap — to click
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. mark — a trace
  7. key — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — a grade
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pound — a weight
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wind — moving air
  20. hand — help
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. key — for a lock

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