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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — for catching
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. tear — to rip
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — in sport
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tear — from crying

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