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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. content — the amount
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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