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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — government
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — to fit
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rule — a law
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — a stick
  18. scale — size or range
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fan — to cool the 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