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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bank — of a river
  6. file — a tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. file — a document
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bank — for money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — what's left

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