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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — music
  13. pitch — completely
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. bat — the animal

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