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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. charge — electricity
  3. charge — in control
  4. cue — a hint
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rule — a law
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. file — a tool
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rock — music
  14. mark — a trace
  15. charge — a price
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a document
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a signal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of a car

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