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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. net — for catching
  3. last — finally
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. board — a committee
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — the fruit
  18. last — final
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — to go on
  21. file — a tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. file — a document
  24. board — to get on

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