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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — a partner
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mate — to breed
  8. can — a tin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. can — a tin
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bass — low music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. file — a document
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lean — thin
  21. mug — a cup
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mug — a face
  24. ground — a position

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