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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. file — a line of people
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a document
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. roll — a list
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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