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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — a trail
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. can — a tin
  11. board — a committee
  12. scale — in music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — hurry
  23. file — a document
  24. rush — to hurry

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