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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. file — a line of people
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. snap — to click
  20. mark — a trace
  21. file — a document
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bear — the animal
  24. file — a tool

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