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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. snap — to click
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — a stick
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. file — a tool
  18. rule — government
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. file — a line of people

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