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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — happening now
  7. file — a document
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lie — to recline
  12. race — a contest
  13. net — for catching
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a tool
  18. net — after costs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. net — in sport
  21. current — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. current — electric
  24. calf — a young animal

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