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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. row — to paddle
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — a container
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — a face
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wind — moving air
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. mug — a cup
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. row — a line

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