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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. file — a tool
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. file — a document
  8. wake — a trail
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mate — a friend
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mate — a partner
  24. dip — to sink

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