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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. spring — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — to recline
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. spring — of water
  18. land — a country
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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