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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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. snap — to click
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. content — the amount
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. root — of a plant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. content — happy
  14. club — a group
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wind — moving air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. club — for golf

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