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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a document
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fork — in a road
  9. capital — money
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — a city
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — a garden tool

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