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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. land — to come down
  5. file — a tool
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — a contest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hand — in cards
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lie — an untruth

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