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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chest — a box
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chest — of your body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. file — a document
  12. pop — soda
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pop — music
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ball — a dance
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chair — a professorship

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