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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rule — a law
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rule — government
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. press — to push
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kick — in football
  15. land — ground
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wind — moving air
  22. press — a publisher
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rock — music

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