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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pass — a permit
  3. sharp — clever
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a document
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. shower — rain
  24. mate — a friend

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