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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. key — for a lock
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. key — in music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. fall — the season
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — in music
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fall — to drop
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a match
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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