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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — a hole
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — a break
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. file — a tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a document
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pit — in a race
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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