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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. board — a committee
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. rule — government
  8. stock — shares
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. stock — goods
  13. march — the month
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — an aim
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — to get on
  20. object — to protest
  21. lie — to recline
  22. object — a thing
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — a soup base

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