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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. mate — a partner
  6. field — for sport
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mate — a friend
  10. field — farmland
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rest — a break
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rest — what's left
  22. game — a match
  23. mate — to breed
  24. field — a subject

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