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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — finally
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rest — a break
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. last — final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. last — to go on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — thin
  24. rest — what's left

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