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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fall — to drop
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fall — to drop
  14. net — in sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mug — a face
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rule — a law
  22. mug — to rob
  23. file — a document
  24. net — for catching

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