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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. row — a line
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. charge — a price
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — in control
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tear — from crying
  17. file — a tool
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. row — to paddle
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a line of people

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