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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. firm — a company
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. face — to confront
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — part of the head
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. tube — a container
  19. firm — steady
  20. wound — an injury
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — hurry

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