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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mug — to rob
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. file — a tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. file — a line of people
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — a face
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mate — to breed
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rock — music

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