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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 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — in a race
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. file — a line of people
  7. sharp — clever
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. file — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. snap — to click
  18. sharp — exactly

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