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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a tool
  3. rule — a law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. file — a line of people
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. file — a document
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. land — to come down
  12. pound — a weight
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — ground
  15. rule — government
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. land — a country
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. lash — to lash out

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