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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. present — a gift
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pop — to visit
  12. present — the time now
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — there
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pop — music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — the vegetable

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