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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.

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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cue — a hint
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — for pool
  15. degree — an amount
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rash — hasty
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. degree — from a university
  21. degree — temperature
  22. snap — to click
  23. mate — to breed
  24. file — a document

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