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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. file — a tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a document
  21. rule — a law
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rule — government
  24. fork — to eat with

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