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

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. 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. fine — a penalty
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a document
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rule — a law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — high quality
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. file — a tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fine — all right
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. 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