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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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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: rash · rock · file · row · present · can · fine · rule

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rock — a stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. row — to paddle
  7. file — a tool
  8. can — a tin
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rock — music
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a line
  16. rule — a law
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — a series
  19. present — there
  20. can — a tin
  21. rule — government
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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