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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. file — a tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — the fruit
  9. file — a document
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — what's left
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — a weight
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. roll — a list
  23. deal — an agreement
  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