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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. march — the month
  5. game — a match
  6. wound — an injury
  7. file — a tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. march — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. march — the month

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