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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. craft — a skill
  3. file — a tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. firm — steady
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rule — a law
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hand — help
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rule — government
  22. stem — to come from
  23. firm — a company
  24. mine — belonging to me

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