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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wind — moving air
  6. face — to confront
  7. wind — moving air
  8. key — the most important part
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mug — a cup
  13. key — in music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mug — to rob
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tear — to rip
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — a face
  22. key — for a lock
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bowl — a dish

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