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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · key · fall · lie · wind · kid · safe · track

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lie — to recline
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. key — in music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fine — high quality
  17. key — for a lock
  18. fall — the season
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fine — all right
  22. key — the most important part
  23. track — a path
  24. track — a song

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