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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. file — a tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — a group

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