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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. charge — a price
  6. cold — not warm
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. file — a tool
  10. suit — in cards
  11. charge — in control
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. charge — electricity
  14. toast — bread
  15. row — to paddle
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — to fit
  20. row — a line
  21. cold — an illness
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bat — the animal

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