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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 124 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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pit — in a race
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. file — a tool
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pit — a hole
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — animal skin

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