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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  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 — moving air
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ball — a dance
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. shower — to wash
  14. field — a subject
  15. roll — a cake
  16. ball — a great time
  17. field — for sport
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. field — farmland
  22. lie — to recline
  23. roll — a list
  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