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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pop — to visit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. staff — employees
  13. pop — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a document
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pop — soda
  21. staff — a stick
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wake — a trail

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