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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: file · swing · present · rule · mug · snap

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rule — government
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — there
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. present — a gift
  12. swing — music
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a tool
  15. snap — to click
  16. swing — to play on
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. swing — in golf

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