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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — the most important part
  5. roll — a list
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rule — a law
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wind — moving air

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