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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a tool
  4. tear — to rip
  5. file — a line of people
  6. march — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — the cause
  11. charge — electricity
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. root — of a plant

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