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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a document
  3. hand — help
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. track — a path
  7. rule — government
  8. toast — bread
  9. track — a song
  10. file — a line of people
  11. rule — a law
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fall — to drop
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fall — the season

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