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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. last — final
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mug — a cup
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — thin
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — to rob
  10. can — a tin
  11. mug — a face
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. file — a tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — a stick
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. staff — employees
  20. last — to go on
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — of ice
  24. file — a document

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