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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mug — a face
  3. file — a document
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mug — a cup
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — magic
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pop — to visit
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. present — a gift
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. pop — soda
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. wax — for sculpting

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