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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fine — all right
  3. rule — a law
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — letters
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. court — for sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spell — magic
  22. rash — hasty
  23. spell — a short time
  24. court — of law

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