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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — in control
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — of water
  12. bear — the animal
  13. charge — a price
  14. current — happening now
  15. rash — hasty
  16. club — a group
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — a series
  20. file — a line of people
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — electric
  24. club — for dancing

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