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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. file — a tool
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rash — a series
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — music
  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