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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. ground — crushed
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — a video
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. file — a document
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — for a lock

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