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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 120 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: rule · deal · foot · charge · file · stem · present · bay

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. present — the time now
  5. stem — to come from
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. charge — a price
  9. file — a tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — electricity
  15. file — a line of people
  16. charge — in control
  17. rule — a law
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. foot — a measure
  21. present — a gift
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rule — government
  24. present — there

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