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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. file — a line of people
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. firm — a company
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — part of the head
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. face — to point toward
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chip — for betting
  16. firm — steady
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. firm — decided
  20. face — to confront
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a tool

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