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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rule — a law
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — government
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — moving air
  14. firm — a company
  15. saw — the tool
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — decided
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fall — the season
  22. branch — a division
  23. saw — the tool
  24. branch — of a tree

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