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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — government
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mine — for digging
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rule — a law

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