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

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. march — music
  8. spring — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — a measure
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spring — of water
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. can — a tin
  15. march — the month
  16. chip — to eat
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — a tin
  19. spring — a coil
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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