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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. object — to protest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rule — a law
  5. face — to point toward
  6. fine — all right
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. prune — to trim
  14. face — part of the head
  15. object — a thing
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rule — government
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — to confront

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