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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.

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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rest — a break
  3. wind — moving air
  4. fine — all right
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. face — part of the head
  7. court — for sport
  8. track — a song
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rest — what's left
  15. face — to confront
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. court — of a king
  22. fine — high quality
  23. court — of law
  24. track — to keep track

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