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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — a company
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stand — to bear
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rule — a law
  20. swing — in golf
  21. firm — steady
  22. swing — music
  23. firm — decided
  24. bowl — a dish

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