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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. face — to confront
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. present — a gift
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. face — to point toward
  16. present — there
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. present — the time now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bass — low music
  24. file — a tool

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