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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. roll — a list
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mate — to breed
  10. roll — a cake
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mate — a friend
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. file — a tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — a series

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