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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. cap — a lid
  3. bound — certain
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a line of people
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — a hat
  20. drill — army training
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — the tool
  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