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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hand — help
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — the amount
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. content — happy

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