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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. season — in sport
  6. sharp — clever
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ball — a great time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bound — tied together
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. present — there
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — obliged
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. file — a document
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — a gift

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