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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. face — part of the head
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. cold — not warm
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. object — an aim
  15. face — to confront
  16. file — a tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cold — an illness
  23. file — a document
  24. hide — to keep secret

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