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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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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: firm · hide · rule · roll · file · bear · wave · leaves

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. firm — decided
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. file — a document
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — a company
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a line of people
  18. roll — a list
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — a cake
  24. firm — steady

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