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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. spell — letters
  5. mug — a cup
  6. suit — in cards
  7. file — a line of people
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mate — to breed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mate — a friend
  14. fall — the season
  15. drill — army training
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a document
  22. mug — a face
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spell — magic

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