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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. spring — of water
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rule — government
  8. last — finally
  9. swing — music
  10. file — a line of people
  11. swing — to play on
  12. last — final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rule — a law
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. file — a tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — in golf
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bear — the animal

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