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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — in sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wind — moving air
  7. season — of the year
  8. bear — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rule — government
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — a law
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — to put up with

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