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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — help
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. band — a ring
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stock — shares
  20. fall — the season
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a music group
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rule — to rule out

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