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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rule — government
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. swing — to play on
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rule — a law
  12. swing — music
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. chip — to eat
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. swing — in golf

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