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

Word bank: suit · charge · wind · rule · bark · wave · bear · cold

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. wave — with your hand
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. bark — to shout
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wind — moving air
  13. charge — a price
  14. suit — clothes
  15. charge — in control
  16. wind — moving air
  17. rule — government
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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