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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — a signal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — to point toward
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — to confront
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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