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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rest — a break
  4. last — finally
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. last — final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rest — what's left
  14. last — to go on
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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