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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 116 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mug — a cup
  3. file — a tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. degree — an amount
  6. snap — to click
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — a face
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. degree — temperature
  18. ball — a dance
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a document
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. mug — to rob

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