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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. face — to confront
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. can — a tin
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — to be able to
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wind — moving air
  17. net — for catching
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. face — to point toward
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — part of the head
  24. fork — a garden tool

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