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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. chest — a box
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. firm — decided
  10. chest — of your body
  11. firm — a company
  12. mug — a cup
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. firm — steady
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rule — government
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mug — to rob

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