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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rule — a law
  15. content — happy
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. content — the amount
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. rule — government

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