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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. file — a document
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fork — in a road
  9. file — a tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fine — all right
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — a company
  24. cold — an illness

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