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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — to eat
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lie — to recline
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. file — a document
  23. chip — for betting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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