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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fall — to drop
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. key — the most important part
  12. wake — a trail
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — a subject
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. field — for sport
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — moving air

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