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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · rash · plane · file · press · pit · clip · leaves

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rash — a series
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pit — in a race
  11. file — a document
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. clip — for paper
  14. press — to push
  15. clip — a video
  16. rule — government
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. clip — to cut
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rash — hasty
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. leaves — to go away

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