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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. file — a line of people
  3. kick — in football
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. saw — the tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. branch — of a bank

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