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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. march — music
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rule — government
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — in music
  14. rule — a law
  15. march — the month
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. file — a document
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. march — the month

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