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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — an aim
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bass — the fish
  5. present — the time now
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. present — there
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — to protest
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. land — ground
  13. land — a country
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — a stick
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. object — a thing
  18. staff — employees
  19. land — to come down
  20. face — part of the head
  21. present — a gift
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. staff — employees

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