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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. file — a tool
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air

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