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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. file — a tool
  4. firm — steady
  5. net — for catching
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — a law
  16. net — in sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — decided
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. net — after costs

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