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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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. object — an aim
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cold — not warm
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cell — a phone
  16. file — a document
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. file — a tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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