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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  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 — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. key — in music
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — in football
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cold — an illness
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. firm — decided
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — a group
  23. firm — steady
  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