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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mug — a face
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mug — a cup
  15. fall — the season
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a line of people
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a tool
  20. rule — government
  21. object — to protest
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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