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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. march — the month
  3. season — of the year
  4. track — a path
  5. file — a tool
  6. staff — a stick
  7. file — a document
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — a cup
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — to crush
  13. march — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. staff — employees
  16. mug — a face
  17. season — in sport
  18. march — the month
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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