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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chest — of your body
  4. net — in sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. current — of water
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. file — a tool
  9. rule — government
  10. rest — a break
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. file — a document
  13. chest — a box
  14. kick — in football
  15. current — electric
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — for catching
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. current — happening now
  20. toast — bread
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rest — what's left
  23. net — after costs
  24. rule — a 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