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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. file — a document
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lean — to bend

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