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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. last — to go on
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a document
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. present — there
  13. file — a tool
  14. roll — a list
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. present — a gift

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