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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. face — part of the head
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. last — finally
  7. rule — government
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. file — a tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. rule — a law
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. file — a document
  19. last — to go on
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to point toward
  22. last — final
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. saw — the tool

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