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

Word bank: present · arm · hide · wind · file · track · tear · cabinet

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. file — a tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. tear — to rip
  6. file — a document
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wind — moving air
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tear — from crying
  13. track — a song
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — there
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. present — the time now
  21. track — a path
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — ministers

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