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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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rule — government
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. pop — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. file — a tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. file — a document
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pop — soda

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