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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. file — a line of people
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — a stone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — to visit
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pop — soda
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rock — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pop — music
  23. cell — a phone
  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