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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: rule · tear · kick · fork · wave · scale · can · fine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fine — all right
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — government
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — a law
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. can — a tin

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