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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. court — of a king
  3. firm — decided
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rule — government
  7. firm — a company
  8. rash — hasty
  9. court — for sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rule — a law
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rash — a series
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wind — moving air

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