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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wound — an injury
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. chest — of your body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chest — of your body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. file — a document
  20. chest — a box
  21. file — a tool
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. board — to get on
  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