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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lie — to recline
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. race — the arms race
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. prune — to trim
  10. race — a contest
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — the time now
  14. race — humankind
  15. present — a gift
  16. game — wild animals
  17. staff — a stick
  18. game — a match
  19. present — there
  20. file — a document
  21. staff — employees
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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