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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 116 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: cue · bay · fork · file · leaves · deal · fan · rule

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cue — a hint
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. file — a document
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rule — government
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. file — a tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  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