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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. mate — to breed
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bank — for money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mate — a friend
  12. snap — to click
  13. bank — for money
  14. ball — a dance
  15. file — a line of people
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bore — to tire
  19. file — a tool
  20. swing — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ball — a round shape

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