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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — boats
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rest — what's left
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. content — the amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rest — a break
  23. wind — moving air
  24. march — music

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