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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lean — thin
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. last — final
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — a song
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lean — to bend
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. last — to go on

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