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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. snap — to click
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. file — a line of people
  15. object — a thing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — hurry
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bear — the animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. dip — a sauce

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