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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rule — a law
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bound — certain
  9. rule — government
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — decided
  13. rock — music
  14. charge — electricity
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. charge — a price
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — steady
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. firm — a company
  23. bound — tied together
  24. charge — in control

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