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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — government
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. rock — music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wind — to turn a key

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