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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — farmland
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — a contest
  13. file — a tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lie — to recline
  18. field — a subject
  19. bore — to drill
  20. field — for sport
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a document

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