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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fine — all right
  3. dip — to sink
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fine — high quality
  14. rule — government
  15. toast — bread
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. suit — clothes
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rule — a law
  22. suit — to fit
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. toast — the most admired

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