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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — a path
  4. field — farmland
  5. cell — a phone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. face — to confront
  8. fork — in a road
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. file — a document
  17. track — a song
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. face — to point toward
  24. saw — the 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