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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rule — government
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. charge — a price
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — the underground
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. ball — a great time
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. lean — thin
  22. tube — a container
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rule — a law

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