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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: race · tear · present · deal · mate · rule · file · tube

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. present — there
  5. tube — a container
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mate — a friend
  8. file — a document
  9. present — a gift
  10. mate — to breed
  11. tube — the underground
  12. present — the time now
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rule — government
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. race — a contest
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. tear — to rip
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. race — humankind
  24. tear — from crying

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