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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. charge — electricity
  3. row — to paddle
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. charge — in control
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. row — a line
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. charge — a price
  24. squash — to crush

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