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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. file — a document
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. file — a tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pass — to spend time

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