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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. staff — a stick
  3. pit — in a race
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — employees
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. file — a tool
  9. rule — a law
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. track — a path
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — a hole
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. file — a document
  22. rule — government
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — employees

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