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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.

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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — moving air
  5. club — for dancing
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stock — shares
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hand — help
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mug — to rob
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. stock — goods
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — a cup
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hand — part of the body

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