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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — thin
  5. net — for catching
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to drill
  11. content — the amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — in sport
  18. cell — a phone
  19. content — happy
  20. file — a document
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  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