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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 116 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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — in control
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wound — an injury
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. snap — to click
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. file — a tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a document
  19. charge — a price
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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