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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. firm — a company
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. file — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. firm — steady
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. firm — decided
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. file — a document

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