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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. file — a document
  6. pop — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. degree — from a university
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. file — a tool
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rock — a stone
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pop — to visit
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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