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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — army training
  6. file — a tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a document
  10. face — part of the head
  11. shower — rain
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. drill — a practice
  15. ball — a great time
  16. shower — to wash
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. drill — the tool
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. ball — a dance
  24. kick — in football

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