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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. file — a tool
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. file — a line of people
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. suit — in cards
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — before a funeral

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