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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitch — completely
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. file — a tool
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bound — certain
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. file — a document
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chest — a box

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