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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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468
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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fine — all right
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. file — a document
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fine — high quality
  15. rock — a stone
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a tool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — in an idiom

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