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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. firm — decided
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. file — a tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cold — an illness
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cold — not warm
  16. firm — a company
  17. file — a document
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — steady
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cold — the Cold War

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