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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — rain
  3. track — a song
  4. track — a path
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. file — a line of people
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lean — to bend
  13. file — a document
  14. lean — thin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. track — to keep track
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rule — government

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