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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. foot — a measure
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — there
  7. row — a line
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. file — a tool
  11. present — the time now
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. present — a gift
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — a permit
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a document
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. foot — part of the body

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