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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. land — to come down
  4. root — of a word
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rest — a break
  11. land — ground
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. root — the cause
  16. bound — certain
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. land — a country
  21. file — a tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — what's left

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