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

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — the arms race
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — moving air
  6. race — humankind
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rule — a law
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. race — a contest
  19. land — ground
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. land — a country
  22. row — a line
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a quarrel

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