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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. file — a document
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bear — the animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a music group
  11. file — a tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. roll — a list
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. file — a line of people
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. band — a ring
  24. suit — clothes

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