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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. suit — clothes
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. clip — a video
  12. pit — in a race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rule — government
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — a law
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pop — soda
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wind — moving air

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