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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. season — of the year
  3. last — to go on
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stand — to bear
  6. last — finally
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. season — in sport
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — electric
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. current — happening now
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tube — the underground
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — final
  24. season — to add flavour

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