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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. kick — in football
  3. season — in sport
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stand — to bear
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rash — a series
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rash — hasty
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. ball — a great time
  24. file — a tool

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