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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. file — a document
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. file — a tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. band — a ring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pit — in a race
  16. prune — to trim
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. band — a music group
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — a hole

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