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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 116 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 water is too ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cold — not warm
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. file — a document
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cold — an illness
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mug — a face

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