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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. fine — all right
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. suit — in cards
  12. present — the time now
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fine — high quality
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. file — a document
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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