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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pound — a weight
  16. file — a document
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. file — a tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kid — child
  24. lie — to recline

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