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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — a law
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a friend
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. wind — moving air
  15. board — a committee
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — to come from
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. rule — government

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