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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — rain
  15. date — the fruit
  16. shower — to wash
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. fan — a supporter

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