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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — a path
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rule — government
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rule — a law
  11. track — a song
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — music
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wind — moving air
  20. kid — child
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ball — a great time

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