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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a tool
  5. last — finally
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bound — tied together
  10. last — final
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bound — certain
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. charge — a price
  16. charge — in control
  17. pound — a weight
  18. file — a document
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mug — a face
  21. vault — a safe
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pound — to hit hard

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