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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. track — a song
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — hurry
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. band — a music group
  17. track — a path
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. chip — to eat
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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