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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fall — to drop
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a face
  10. degree — from a university
  11. suit — in cards
  12. degree — an amount
  13. mug — to rob
  14. firm — steady
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — a cup
  17. row — a line
  18. firm — a company
  19. fall — the season
  20. row — to paddle
  21. firm — decided
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fall — to drop

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