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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: file · spring · stick · rule · arm · cap · leaves · bore

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cap — a lid
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. file — a tool
  8. spring — of water
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spring — the season
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rule — government
  16. file — a document
  17. spring — a coil
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — to drill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rule — a law

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