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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rule — government
  9. track — a path
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. mark — a grade
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a document
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. mine — for digging
  24. charge — a price

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