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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. file — a tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a document
  10. rule — a law
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. tube — the underground
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rush — hurry
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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