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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. prune — to trim
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a line of people
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. march — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lie — to recline
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. prune — to trim
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cue — a hint

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