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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. key — for a lock
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cap — a hat
  6. file — a tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. squash — the sport
  9. season — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. key — in music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a lid
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wake — a trail
  23. season — of the year
  24. rush — to hurry

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