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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: arm · deal · spell · file · wave · rule · bore · leaves

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a document
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — government
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a line of people
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rule — a law
  19. file — a tool
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. leaves — of a tree

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