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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. file — a document
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — army training
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. chest — a box
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bound — certain
  16. drill — the tool
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chest — of your body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rule — a law
  23. file — a tool
  24. cell — a phone

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