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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. court — of a king
  11. fall — the season
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pound — a weight
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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