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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — a price
  3. rule — government
  4. file — a tool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. charge — electricity
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a document
  12. charge — in control
  13. rule — a law
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — clothes
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. club — for dancing
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. club — a group
  22. snap — to click
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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