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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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468
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — government
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. root — of a word
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. root — the cause
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. object — to protest

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