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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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Word bank
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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: wave · fine · rule · stand · clip · toast · wind · object

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. object — an aim
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. fine — all right
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wind — moving air
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — high quality
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. clip — a video
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rule — a law

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