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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cap — of ice
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rule — a law
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rule — government
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ground — a position
  20. plane — a tool
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. file — a tool
  24. ground — crushed

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