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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rule — government
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. file — a tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — a law
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rest — a break
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. mouse — the animal

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