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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. game — wild animals
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — newspapers
  16. game — a match
  17. press — to push
  18. saw — the tool
  19. file — a tool
  20. press — a publisher
  21. board — a committee
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. board — a flat piece

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