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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. face — part of the head
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. root — the cause
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. last — final
  9. face — to point toward
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. last — finally
  14. last — to go on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a hole
  18. face — to confront
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pass — a permit
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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