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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. cue — a hint
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. shower — to wash
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. shower — rain

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