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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. fall — to drop
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bank — of a river
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fall — the season
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — in music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — an aim
  13. key — the most important part
  14. object — a thing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bank — for money
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — final
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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