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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. face — to confront
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wind — moving air
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. face — part of the head
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. face — to point toward
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. perch — the fish

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