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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. field — for sport
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. field — farmland
  8. pass — a permit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rest — a break
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. rest — what's left
  13. file — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — a subject
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wound — an injury

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