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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — government
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. root — the cause
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. fall — to drop
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rule — a law
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fall — the season

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