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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — a cup
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — all right
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mug — a face
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. chip — for betting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. mug — to rob

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