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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 120 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · lie · sharp · track · mine · wound · wake · cabinet

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — a trail
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — a song
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — to keep track
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mine — for digging
  24. track — a path

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