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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — a hat
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wake — a trail
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — a lid
  17. spell — magic
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — in control
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — for tennis

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