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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mine — for digging
  5. file — a tool
  6. rule — a law
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — government
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stem — to come from
  18. file — a document
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — belonging to me

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