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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — a line
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. file — a tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — a partner
  10. file — a document
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ground — a position
  13. cue — a hint
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — crushed
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — a division
  24. mouse — for a computer

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