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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. face — part of the head
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. file — a document
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. face — to confront
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — there
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rest — a break
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. present — a gift
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — to hurry

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