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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a document
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. firm — decided
  23. file — a tool
  24. cell — in a prison

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