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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: tear · arm · file · object · fall · bay · rule · mark

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a document
  9. fall — to drop
  10. file — a line of people
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tear — to rip
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fall — the season
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — a law

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