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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. root — the cause
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. file — a tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lie — to recline
  17. root — of a word
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pop — soda

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