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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rule — government
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to click
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — boats
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. craft — a skill
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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