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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. file — a line of people
  9. face — to point toward
  10. snap — to click
  11. pass — a permit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — to come down
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. face — to confront
  20. sharp — clever
  21. dip — to sink
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. face — part of the head

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