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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. mug — to rob
  3. deal — to handle
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. file — a document
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cold — an illness
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. face — part of the head
  19. cold — not warm
  20. face — to confront
  21. stand — to bear
  22. staff — employees
  23. face — to point toward
  24. staff — a stick

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