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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 120 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: fall · dip · file · rule · kid · cue · wound · mark

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. file — a document
  11. fall — the season
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. rule — government
  15. kid — child
  16. cue — a hint
  17. mark — a grade
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cue — a signal
  20. file — a line of people
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rule — a law
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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