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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — a thing
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. lie — to recline
  12. roll — a cake
  13. ground — the earth
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — to go on
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — an aim
  23. file — a tool
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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