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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fall — the season
  3. craft — boats
  4. file — a tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. season — in sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. fall — to drop
  16. season — of the year
  17. spell — magic
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — letters
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. land — ground
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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