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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — finally
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — to go on
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — to push
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — government
  15. last — final
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wind — moving air
  20. foot — a measure
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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