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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pop — music
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. file — a tool
  9. cell — a phone
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cell — in biology
  19. suit — in cards
  20. present — there
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. file — a document
  24. pop — soda

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