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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. file — a document
  4. cap — a lid
  5. net — for catching
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rule — a law
  8. net — after costs
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. file — a tool
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — of ice
  13. file — a line of people
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — in sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cap — a hat
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. shower — rain
  24. rule — government

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