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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — government
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. squash — the sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — a law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — a strongbox

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