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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rule — government
  4. mug — a face
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — after costs
  7. mug — a cup
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — a committee
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rule — a law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. net — for catching

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