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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — to confront
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. file — a document
  7. mug — to rob
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. branch — a division
  20. stem — to come from
  21. face — to point toward
  22. rule — a law
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. file — a line of people

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