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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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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: lean · temple · file · firm · ground · wind · rock · land

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — ground
  3. lean — to bend
  4. file — a line of people
  5. firm — a company
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wind — moving air
  10. land — a country
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. file — a tool
  14. rock — music
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. land — to come down
  23. firm — decided
  24. ground — a position

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