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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. suit — in cards
  3. file — a tool
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. file — a document
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spell — letters
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cell — a phone
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. spell — a short time
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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