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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a tool
  3. mate — a partner
  4. file — a document
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — a subject
  8. mate — to breed
  9. field — for sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. field — farmland
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fine — high quality
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. squash — the sport
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. file — a line of people
  24. squash — to crush

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