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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. wake — a trail
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. object — an aim
  5. present — there
  6. present — the time now
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. file — a document
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — certain
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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