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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. stand — to bear
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. track — a path
  12. file — a tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — after costs
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. track — a song
  24. file — a document

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