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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 · stick · tear · rule · suit · plane

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tear — from crying
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a line of people
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rule — a law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. file — a document
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. tear — to rip
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. file — a 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