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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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. present — the time now
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chest — of your body
  14. file — a tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. chest — a box
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bowl — a dish

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