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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — a stone
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. file — a tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rush — hurry
  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