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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: lie · tear · fine · rule · wave · bay · file · wake

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fine — all right
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. fine — high quality
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — a law
  11. tear — to rip
  12. rule — government
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a line of people

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