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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — a coil
  4. firm — steady
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. file — a tool
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — a company
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spring — the season
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — the fish
  19. firm — decided
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bass — low music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. spring — of water
  24. dip — to sink

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