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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — government
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — a law
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. coach — a trainer

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