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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.

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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — the time now
  5. mate — to breed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — a thing
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wind — moving air
  14. object — an aim
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. object — to protest
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. present — a gift
  20. rock — a stone
  21. present — there
  22. tube — a container
  23. game — a match
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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