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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. present — a gift
  3. plane — a tool
  4. present — there
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. file — a document
  13. bat — the animal
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. current — of water
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bound — certain
  18. current — electric
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wound — an injury
  21. present — the time now
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — obliged

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