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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 116 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 is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. object — an aim
  7. craft — a skill
  8. file — a document
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. face — to confront
  13. object — to protest
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — humankind
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. object — a thing
  22. file — a tool
  23. craft — boats
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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