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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. present — the time now
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wax — to grow
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. present — there
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. track — a song
  23. present — a gift
  24. fan — to cool the air

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