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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. file — a tool
  4. key — the most important part
  5. club — for golf
  6. file — a line of people
  7. snap — to click
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a document
  10. key — in music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — happening now
  14. club — for dancing
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. vault — a safe
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. current — of water
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — a group

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