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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — clothes
  4. object — to protest
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. shower — rain
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. shower — to wash
  12. drill — a practice
  13. object — a thing
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — an aim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. clip — a video
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. suit — in cards
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — for paper
  24. suit — to fit

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