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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. mug — to rob
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rule — government
  15. present — there
  16. ball — a dance
  17. rule — a law
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. squash — to crush
  21. staff — employees
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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