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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a document
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bass — the fish
  10. stem — to come from
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. bass — low music
  19. mug — a face
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a cup
  24. track — to keep track

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