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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: rule · suit · rash · wind · kid · foot · season · cap

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rash — hasty
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wind — moving air
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — of the year
  8. rule — government
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cap — of ice
  11. suit — to fit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rule — a law
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cap — a hat
  17. season — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. kid — child
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rash — a series
  22. kid — to tease
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rule — to rule out

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