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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. file — a document
  6. lean — thin
  7. land — to come down
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — a container
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. land — a country
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — an aim
  17. face — to point toward
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — to bend
  20. file — a tool
  21. object — a thing
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. object — to protest
  24. cell — a phone

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