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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cue · rest · chest · hide · field · current · track

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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. field — for sport
  4. chest — a box
  5. field — farmland
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cue — a signal
  12. file — a document
  13. track — a song
  14. cue — a hint
  15. current — electric
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a tool
  21. track — a path
  22. current — happening now
  23. field — a subject
  24. current — of water

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