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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — to fit
  3. file — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fine — all right
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — an injury
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a line of people
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitcher — a jug

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