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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — to rob
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mug — a face
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — a cup
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — a safe
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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