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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. file — a document
  4. spell — magic
  5. rash — hasty
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. file — a tool
  12. track — to keep track
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. track — a path
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. snap — to click
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stand — to bear
  23. spell — a short time
  24. file — a line of people

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