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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 120 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — a video
  5. rule — a law
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. clip — for paper
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. clip — to cut
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cap — a hat
  15. file — a document
  16. rule — government
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ruler — for measuring

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