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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. field — farmland
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. last — to go on
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. file — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a document
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — to be able to
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — for sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. last — final
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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