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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. race — humankind
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. board — a committee
  10. race — a contest
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — a break
  17. rule — government
  18. race — the arms race

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