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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — magic
  13. stand — to bear
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rash — a series
  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