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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. present — the time now
  4. file — a document
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fork — in a road
  7. suit — to fit
  8. file — a tool
  9. present — a gift
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cap — of ice
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. present — there
  21. file — a line of people
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rock — a stone
  24. suit — clothes

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