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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pound — a weight
  9. file — a document
  10. rash — a series
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — a stone
  13. file — a tool
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — a hat
  19. net — for catching
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rock — music
  24. net — in sport

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