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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. wake — a trail
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. file — a line of people
  8. drill — army training
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. drill — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — a practice
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pop — music
  24. date — on the calendar

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