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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · wave · wind · rule · object · deal

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. row — a line
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — an aim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. deal — to handle
  9. object — a thing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — government
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. wave — of the sea

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