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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. craft — boats
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rule — government
  5. kid — to tease
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — child
  11. rule — a law
  12. mark — a grade
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wake — a trail
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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