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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rock — a stone
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. field — farmland
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — music
  9. field — for sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. file — a tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. file — a document
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. band — a ring
  17. foot — a measure
  18. band — a music group
  19. firm — a company
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. firm — decided
  23. field — a subject
  24. hide — to keep secret

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