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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. file — a document
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rock — music
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. file — a line of people
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. file — a tool
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fall — the season
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — a stone
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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