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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 120 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — army training
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. file — a line of people
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — a law
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mate — a partner
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mate — a friend
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rule — government
  24. mate — to breed

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