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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. can — a tin
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to click
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — of a tree

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