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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — for digging
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. tube — a container
  18. net — after costs
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — in sport
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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