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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hand — help
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. root — the cause
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. root — of a word
  15. band — a music group
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a ring
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — in cards
  22. file — a tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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