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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stand — to bear
  7. clip — for paper
  8. net — in sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — a video
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. wake — a trail
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. file — a document
  19. clip — to cut
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a partner

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