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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. snap — to click
  3. rule — government
  4. firm — decided
  5. pit — a hole
  6. firm — steady
  7. pit — in a race
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. firm — a company
  13. pop — to visit
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a document
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. deal — to handle
  21. branch — a division
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pop — music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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