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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. last — finally
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. last — final
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lean — to bend
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. file — a tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. file — a line of people
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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