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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. date — the fruit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — a cake
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. key — in music
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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