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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pop — soda
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. face — to confront
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pop — music
  16. mate — a friend
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — to visit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. face — to point toward
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — a trail

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