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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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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: rule · file · bound · cue · roll · swing · dip · fall

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bound — obliged
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. file — a line of people
  8. swing — music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — to play on
  12. cue — for pool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. roll — a list
  17. fall — the season
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — a hint
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rule — government
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — a law
  24. fall — to drop

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