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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. lie — to recline
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. file — a document
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — for a lock
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. row — a line

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