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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. hand — help
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. can — a tin
  21. scale — in music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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