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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — not warm
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — a tin
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — an illness
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. file — a tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. file — a line of people

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