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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rule — government
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rule — a law
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — to protest
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. kick — in football
  16. object — a thing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. suit — to fit
  19. object — an aim
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mine — for digging
  23. roll — a list
  24. kick — with a leg

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