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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lie — to recline
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a tool
  6. ground — the earth
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. club — a group
  9. tube — a container
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. file — a document
  13. staff — employees
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. staff — employees
  17. swing — music
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — a stick
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. row — a line
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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