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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. drill — army training
  12. file — a tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — there
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — the time now
  22. stock — goods
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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