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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — a trail
  5. file — a document
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mug — a cup
  11. shower — to wash
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mug — a face
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. shower — rain
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. dip — to sink

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