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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bear — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. face — to confront
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rock — a stone
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. season — in sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. season — of the year
  24. face — part of the head

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