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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. object — to protest
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — an aim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mug — a face
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mug — to rob
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. row — a line
  17. object — a thing
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rule — to rule out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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