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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — to recline
  3. club — a group
  4. root — of a word
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. staff — employees
  12. rule — a law
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rule — government
  19. staff — a stick
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. club — for golf
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. club — for dancing

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