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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: hand · wind · lie · bear · cabinet · fine · deal · fan

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fine — all right
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — help
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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