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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. file — a document
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — a law
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rule — government
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — soda
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lean — thin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — music
  23. fine — all right
  24. file — a line of people

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