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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. can — to be able to
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — the tool
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. rule — a law
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. net — for catching
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rule — government

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