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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. fork — in a road
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — to recline
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. file — a document
  24. safe — out of danger

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