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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rule — government
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rule — a law
  6. rash — a series
  7. lean — thin
  8. file — a tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chest — a box
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — a lid
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — hasty

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