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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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 line of people
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mug — to rob
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. file — a document
  23. mug — a cup
  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