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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. file — a document
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — in control
  7. tear — from crying
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tear — to rip
  10. face — to confront
  11. file — a tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. last — finally
  14. rest — a break
  15. last — to go on
  16. face — part of the head
  17. charge — a price
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — final
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — to point toward
  24. snap — to click

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