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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cue — a hint
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — government
  7. spring — a coil
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cue — for pool
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. file — a tool
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cue — a signal
  24. plane — a tool

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