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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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Word bank
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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: rock · tear · wave · file · rule · ball

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rock — music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rule — a law
  12. file — a document
  13. rule — government
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. tear — from crying

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