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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 116 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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. face — to confront
  3. fine — all right
  4. file — a tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — to point toward
  7. ground — crushed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. face — part of the head
  17. file — a line of people
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — the earth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. band — a music group

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