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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. rule — government
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. rest — what's left
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. track — a song
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. file — 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