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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — to recline
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — moving air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — moving air
  18. lie — an untruth

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