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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. last — final
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rule — government
  6. file — a document
  7. last — finally
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — a company
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — happening now
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. firm — decided
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. rule — a law
  18. last — to go on
  19. current — electric
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. file — a tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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