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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — the season
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a document
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pit — in a race
  24. hide — animal skin

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