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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lean — to bend
  3. kid — to tease
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. file — a document
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. lean — thin
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. file — a tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to rest against

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