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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. march — music
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. file — a document
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — of your body
  8. march — the month
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — to fit
  11. branch — a division
  12. suit — clothes
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. suit — in cards
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. file — a tool
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. march — the month

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