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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. squash — to crush
  3. mark — a grade
  4. content — happy
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — a gift
  7. object — a thing
  8. file — a document
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lie — to recline
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. content — the amount
  16. present — there
  17. file — a tool
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wind — moving air
  21. present — the time now
  22. mark — a trace
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — to protest

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