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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rule — a law
  5. file — a document
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. sharp — clever
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — government
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mate — a friend
  24. leaves — of a tree

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