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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: rule · degree · leaves · file · rush · saw · can · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. can — a tin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — hurry
  5. degree — from a university
  6. pop — soda
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. degree — an amount
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pop — music
  12. file — a document
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — to hurry

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