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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — to bend
  4. firm — steady
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. file — a tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. firm — a company
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. lean — thin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bowl — a football final

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