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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. rest — what's left
  3. file — a tool
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kid — child
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. rest — a break

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