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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. last — final
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. last — finally
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. face — to confront
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. face — part of the head
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — completely
  20. shower — to wash
  21. file — a document
  22. last — to go on
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. wound — an injury

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