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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. file — a document
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. current — electric
  7. file — a tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — of water
  12. fall — the season
  13. lie — to recline
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — a loud noise

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