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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a document
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mate — a friend
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bat — the animal

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