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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. march — the month
  3. scale — size or range
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. march — the month
  7. scale — in music
  8. march — music
  9. fork — in a road
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. leaves — lets stay

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