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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · wind · wave · vault · rule · file

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. suit — to fit
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — in cards
  14. file — a line of people
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document

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