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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. object — an aim
  3. saw — the tool
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fall — to drop
  7. object — to protest
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wind — moving air
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. face — to confront
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — the season
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. prune — the fruit

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