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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. spring — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. track — a song
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spring — the season
  14. track — a path
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rule — government
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — help
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. track — to keep track
  23. spring — a coil
  24. hand — part of the body

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