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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lie — to recline
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — a thing
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bound — certain
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a music group
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. file — a tool
  24. foot — a measure

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