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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. file — a document
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. key — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — in biology
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — finally
  11. key — the most important part
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rule — government
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a tool
  16. cell — a phone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. key — for a lock
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. last — to go on

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