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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. file — a document
  3. board — a committee
  4. rock — music
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. file — a tool
  8. season — in sport
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kid — child
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. board — to get on
  16. rush — hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rock — to move gently

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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