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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. fine — high quality
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. deal — to handle
  7. tear — from crying
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tear — from crying
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fine — all right
  24. prune — the fruit

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