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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — a price
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wind — moving air
  12. firm — decided
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. firm — a company
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. file — a document
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — steady
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bass — low music
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bat — the animal

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