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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rest — what's left
  9. land — a country
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. file — a line of people
  14. firm — steady
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. land — ground
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — a company
  20. rest — a break
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. land — to come down
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a tool

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