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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — a gift
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. season — in sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. key — in music
  11. root — the cause
  12. cell — a phone
  13. root — of a word
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rock — a stone
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rock — music
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — for a lock
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a line of people
  23. cell — in biology
  24. hide — to keep secret

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