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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. band — a ring
  5. spring — the season
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. wake — a trail
  11. band — a music group
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a document
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cap — a lid
  16. can — to be able to
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cap — of ice
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spring — of water
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — a coil

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