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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bank — for money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. file — a document
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. firm — steady
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rule — a law
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. file — a line of people
  24. firm — decided

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