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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. mug — a face
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mark — a trace
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. spring — the season
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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