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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: march · net · rule · mouse · file · dip · lash · spring

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a document
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. file — a line of people
  8. spring — the season
  9. rule — a law
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — in sport
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — of water
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a tool
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. net — for catching
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — after costs

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