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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 120 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — for digging
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rock — a stone
  6. net — after costs
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — for catching
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. band — a music group
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rock — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rule — government
  16. band — a ring
  17. net — in sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rash — a series
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rule — a law
  24. lie — an untruth

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