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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. firm — steady
  3. cold — not warm
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. file — a tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. firm — decided
  14. kid — child
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. 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