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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rule — a law
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — shares
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lean — thin
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rule — government
  23. file — a document
  24. stand — to bear

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