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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — to recline
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — music
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a line of people
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rash — a series
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. staff — employees

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